Netanyahu takes witness stand in corruption trial

Benjamin Netanyahu has become Israel’s first sitting prime minister to testify as a criminal defendant – having taken the witness stand in his lengthy corruption trial.

- STEFFIE BANATVALA

Claiming that he has been “waiting eight years for this moment” the 75-year-old prime minister started what will be a number of appearances in the courtroom in the coming weeks. He will answer to charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases.

He is testifying as Israel is engaged in a war in Gaza and faces possible new threats posed by regional turmoil, including in Syria.

Mr Netanyahu is accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of cigars and champagne from a Hollywood producer in exchange for assistance with personal and business interests. He is also accused of promoting advantageous regulations for media moguls in exchange for favourable coverage of himself and his family. He denies all the charges.

“I waited eight years for this moment, to say the truth,” the prime minister said as he appeared at ease at the stand in the packed courtroom, adding that the charges against him were “an ocean of absurdness”.

He said he smoked cigars but could hardly finish them because of his workload, hated champagne and that at the start of his career in public service, he would lose sleep over media coverage but learned it had no meaningful bearing – in contrast to the prosecution’s attempts to paint him as image-obsessed.